CAUGHT OUT: Shameless mum pawned school’s iPad for £100

A shameless mum abused a Blackpool’s school’s trust and pawned an iPad that had been loaned to her children to help them improve their education.

Waterloo Road Primary School in Blackpool loans out the iPads to families who would otherwise have no access to them, District Judge David Scanlon was told.

Mother-of-four Nicola Beck, 36, had three children at the school and was given three of the iPad minis for them to learn on.

The judge heard two of the Ipads were pawned – one by Beck and the other by her then partner.

Asking for pre-sentence reports on Beck of Keswick Road, Blackpool, the judge told her: “These were loaned out to assist children and you were the mother of some of the children. But what you did was to cheat your own children - deprive them as well as cause a high level of inconvenience to the school.”

Malcolm Isherwood, prosecuting, outlined the loan system to the court and said Waterloo Primary became aware that one of their iPad minis was missing.

Police were called in and Beck said that her partner had pawned one.

Officers were then made aware that another iPad had been pawned by Beck herself for which she received £100.

The court heard that the school had been told various stories about the missing computers by Beck who claimed they had been left at a friend’s home outside the area.

She then sent an email to the school saying she had taken them to Bradford where her mother was very ill and would return them when the next term started.

The prosecutor said: “The school got back one iPad from the pawnshop who are the people who have missed out financially in this case because they paid out money to Beck.”

Beck admitted theft of the iPad and defrauding the pawnshop.

Howard Green, defending, said: “The offences took place when she had a drug problem. She is now drug free. She also had financial pressures but she accepts she was dishonest.”